“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language And next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.”

-T.S. Eliot

If digital advertising could make a new year’s resolution, what would it be? We asked a few Exponential’s experts to tell us their hopes for industry in the new year.

Build trusting and meaningful relationships

“The digital advertising industry’s new year’s resolution for 2018 should be to work as hard as it can to regain the trust of its clients and the audience to whom it speaks. During the past 12 months, media agencies and their suppliers have made themselves easy targets for critics, culminating in brands like P&G switching off their digital marketing spends (alarmingly, to no detrimental impact on sales). The industry needs to look anew at sustainable financial models which preclude opaque practices; better understanding of the kind of advertising audiences actually appreciate; and that it is ultimately people, not just machines, that make for successful brand building.”

-Tyler Greer, Director, Global Sales Strategy

“In 2018, I hope digital marketers will select longer term data providers that can provide better transparency and ongoing insights about their customers. Digital marketers need to be rigorous about the way they choose their data partners and spend their ad budgets; selecting the right partner empowers brands to connect with the right consumers who are seeking their products/services.”

-Amrit Bedi, VP, Global Operations

Cut out the fakers

“In 2018, publishers should take a hard look at all of their listed ads.txt partners, as well as any newly requested additions. It is important to understand specifically how each partner contributes to monetization and what value they add. If it’s not clear or offers minimal lift, cut them out. Similarly, buyers should look to move to an 100% ads.txt requirement, enforcing that their ads only run on a partner’s inventory where they are clearly listed as an authorized party. For the industry press, if fraud or suspicious activity is uncovered, be as specific as possible about methodologies used and name the names of the parties involved. This will drive accountability and push the industry to adopt any techniques or practices that aren’t already being utilized.”

-Rick Abell, VP, Global Publisher Development

Recognize opportunities to evolve

“As an industry, we should use 2018 to think hard about what users’ shift away from TV says about advertising in general. We are seeing a transition away from broadcast and toward smart TV apps and full episode players, a rejection of commercials in favor of increased subscription fees, and a general consolidation of the media landscape in order to take ad-free Netflix head on. Advertising needs to be better, and these general trends are coming for digital. Regardless of the medium, it’s time to start thinking about how we can evolve media to reduce commoditization and improve monetization for publishers, produce advertising that increases engagement and value for users, and hold all channels accountable for impacting advertisers’ businesses. I hope to see greater innovation on both the story telling and technical sides of this challenge, but we know that video is an outstanding method of connecting with an advertiser’s audience. We should be investing greater time and energy to increase the available scale and enhance the video experience for users, advertisers, and publishers beyond what is capable with a commoditized in-stream solution.”

-John Pullen, VP, Client Strategy & Analytics

Exponential would like to wish you a very happy new year and thank you for all your support in 2017 ! We look forward to connecting again in 2018!